Koyaanisqatsi & Glass
Koyaanisqatsi & Glass
Life out of Balance
I recently listened to the soundtrack for Koyaanisqatsi, the Godfrey Reggio film unmistakably scored by Philip Glass. Since it’s release in 1983, the film has garnered a cult following, as well as multiple relatives. The transcendental, hypnotising and occasionally chaotic visuals of the film strongly mirror it’s environmentalist themes- Life out of balance, as the title would suggest. The title is a derived translation from Hopi, meaning corrupted/chaotic (Koyaani) life/existence (Qatsi). The film is absent of a linear narrative structure, but rather acts as a beautiful collage of scenic shots communicating deeper rooted themes which are echoed throughout. In a storytelling sense, this narrative absence leaves the audiovisual interpretation open to the viewers subjective experience of the film, in other words, it doesn’t necessarily guide you down a specific narrative path, but allows the viewer to find their own.
Following some work on a similar personal project (Upaithric, which can be found here), I was moved to consider the relationship between the filmmaker and the audience and the trust that is instilled in the composers ability to carry the audience in a non-biased fashion through the experience. Without a narratives structure, what exactly is the music there to do? Other than provide an audio aesthetic, there seems to be no fundamental purpose for the music other than providing a backdrop to the strong visual elements of Koyaanisqatsi. In another sense, the soundtrack is in itself a piece of art, more down the veins of a guided mediation, tone poem, or something to experience rather than watch. The haunting opening moments display the crude wall paintings of ancestors passed, juxtaposing to the tragic failed launch of the Atlas Rocket. Glass’s vocal score drones on in the eponymous title track, the choir hints towards a religion, or something much grander than ourselves. Within only a few minutes, the entire span of human existence has been summed up in from our very first markings on the planet, to our very first markings off of it.
The powerful imagery has always stayed with me. The simplicity of the wall paintings, contrasted with the destructive nature of humanity and the relative surrealism of it all. It hints towards an existential quandary; that the objectives humanity set out to achieve, may be futile and cyclicly, we must return to our original place in nature. However, one of Koyaanisqatsi’s most intriguing messages is it’s environmental themes, which have become painfully relevant in today’s landscape, suggesting the fragile position of our current place in nature, and how this may be threatened due to the damage that humans wreak on the planet.
From the first scene, Glass’s music is tense and anxiety inducing. The powerful aesthetics combined with the hammering repetitiveness of Glass’s score creates a unique auditory experience. In a typical fashion, it’s easy to identify Glass’s multiple repeated layers - a busy motorway of various rhythms and textures, creating a sense of organised chaos; like a broken, slowed down siren of sorts. As the film continues, the soundtrack gradually becomes more aggressive and so does the scope, which feels grandiose by the conclusion. The resilient chugging of the strings and woodwind punctuate moments where the imagery of nature and man battle it out, the minor keys seem to be fighting for the foreground as the oboes carry the spinning theme.
Funnily, for a film in which the score plays a role equal to that of the visuals (a rare promotion for audio), the music does not quit for the duration. The score is a powerhouse for almost the entire runtime. This is integral in maintaining the automotive like feeling, like we are part of the ignorant, shove of humanities industrialism counterpointed with the still beauty and simplicity of nature. As the gradual inclusion of humans appear in the film, as does the human elements of Glass’s score. Ultimately, it shifts the paradigm, shuffling the hierarchy of sensory input - placing music and visuals in the same platform.
There could be an entire book written on the concept of guided audiovisual media, but moreover this reflection has left me curious about the role that music plays in this type of medium. It creates an immersive, almost interactive audio sphere for the listener and invites them to take a journey where they are gently nudged into reflection.